A Question About Today's Video Game Consoles...

[bertzie]

Every major game released ever has been via disc or cartridge. This alone proves my point. When major games that win awards are downloaded only, then talk to me. Starcraft is a download only game, but you still need the disc, and will be allowed to download it indefinitely.

Portal. Portal 2.

 

[Zenzeypher]

Personally I think it's terrible.

But the problem is that people had to make you buy movies...or make you choose between like erm VHS or BETA etc....then they HAD to sell you DVDs...then they had to make BLUERAY loook super mega epic awesome in order to sell it.

now they're like...**** lets not give them a choice.

It will head that way, but for them it's the easiest solution (which isn't correct) to curb piracy, 2nd hand sales and maximise profit.

Im telling you now, Piracy will be a bigger issue that what it has EVER been.

 

[Shagnwagon]

I can see it happen. I mean, Blockbuster Video basically put all of the little mom and pop video stores out of business, and now they're going bankrupt because of services like Netflix and streaming video.

The same thing will happen to movies, although the old dvds and blurays will probably still work fine, since they don't rely on downloadable content to function correctly.

I recently read an article about this shift away from media content being sold in a physical form - Soon your only option will be to "buy" a movie download that will give you a certain amount of viewings before it expires.

At least that's what a lot of experts seem to think we're heading toward.

Not sure what I think of it all.

In the blockbuster thing, Redbox played a pretty big role in that too I am fairly certain.

I think we will see more things become downloadable, but I feel like there will always be the physical manifestation. On console games especially I think there will always be a disc of some sort supported by DLC.

 

[djwilbanks]

I don't DJ. You're a smart guy, especially when it comes to tech, but cmon now. You know this won't happen. If anything it will get blocked for monopoly reasons mang. Digital downloads would ruin so many national and local businesses. It's not worth it. Plus, any normal gamer would decline to spending $60 online. They prefer the disc no matter what, just like 90% of people on this forum... I will make a poll and prove that as my point. DVD's, CD's, Blu-Ray's, and games... Same damn thing.

I work in tech sales. I already see it happening.

Imagine you are EA Games for a minute. Now imagine you have this big new release that every mag in the industry has been hyping for 18 months. Now the title just went gold. Do you a) ramp up disc production, costing yourself about $4 per copy to send out and sell for $60. You print 1 million copies of the game and only 500k sell. You're out 2 million dollars. Or do you take option b) ramp up your servers (which you already maintain) and load the game for digital download you put one, just one copy on your server and it is downloaded 500k times @ $60 a pop.

Option A: Sure you made a profit (sometimes, but we can talk about that later), but you lost that 2 mil on printed discs, not including how much you will lose to second hand sales in the long run.

Option B: pure profit, you didn't spend any capital to print the discs,no physical media to be sold second hand to steal residuals from you, and you strict control over the media itself due to digital rights management.

EA would chose option B, and they will as soon as broadband is stable and widespread enough for them to eliminate physical media. Trust me on this. Physical media may exist for another 10-15 years. But not on the scale it's on right now. There is a market shift. I've seen it, and many others have.

Physical media (games, DVD, Blu-ray, CDs) is dying.

 

[Sinmastah]

I can see it happen. I mean, Blockbuster Video basically put all of the little mom and pop video stores out of business, and now they're going bankrupt because of services like Netflix and streaming video.

The same thing will happen to movies, although the old dvds and blurays will probably still work fine, since they don't rely on downloadable content to function correctly.

I recently read an article about this shift away from media content being sold in a physical form - Soon your only option will be to "buy" a movie download that will give you a certain amount of viewings before it expires.

At least that's what a lot of experts seem to think we're heading toward.

Not sure what I think of it all.

Netflix was supposed to put mom and pop stores out of business, yet Family Video is busier than ever.

 

[Sinmastah]

Portal. Portal 2.

What's your point?

 

[bertzie]

What's your point?

They're great games. You should play them.

 

[Sinmastah]

Only problem with that, bro, is that I work in tech. I already see it happening.

Imagine you are EA Games for a minute. Now imagine you have this big new release that every mag in the industry has been hyping for 18 months. Now the title just went gold. Do you a) ramp up disc production, costing yourself about $4 per copy to send out and sell for $60. You print 1 million copies of the game and only 500k sell. You're out 2 million dollars. Or do you take option b) ramp up your servers (which you already maintain) and load the game for digital download *you put one, just one copy on your server and it is downloaded 500k times @ $60 a pop.*

Option A: Sure you made a profit (sometimes, but we can talk about that later), but you lost that 2 mil on printed discs, not including how much you will lose to second hand sales in the long run.

Option B: pure profit, you didn't spend any capital to print the discs,no physical media to be sold second hand to steal residuals from you, and you strict control over the media itself due to digital rights management.*

EA would chose option B, and they will as soon as broadband is stable and widespread enough for them to eliminate physical media. Trust me on this. Physical media may exist for another 10-15 years. But not on the scale it's on right now. There is a market shift. I've seen it, and many others have.*

Physical media (games, DVD, Blu-ray, CDs) is dying.*

DJ, I apologize for this, because I respect you and your opinions, but you are wrong.

Look at MLP for example. Most people here would buy the disc for an album for $10, when could also buy it online. Same with gamers.

EA might choose, and option, that doesn't meant gamers will. Most gamers see games are only that online as cheesy POS. Just sayin, but that's the truth.

 

[djwilbanks]

They're great games. You should play them.

And pretty much 99% of the copies were sold over Steam.

 

[Sinmastah]

They're great games. You should play them.

I have, and I have beaten both of them.

 

[Skintaster]

In the blockbuster thing, Redbox played a pretty big role in that too I am fairly certain.

I think we will see more things become downloadable, but I feel like there will always be the physical manifestation. On console games especially I think there will always be a disc of some sort supported by DLC.

That's true about Redbox- I'd forgotten about those.

And I hope so... I like owning a physical copy of something when I buy it... But I have a bad feeling that we'll witness a transition away from physical media entirely in a few years. Once it becomes technologically viable, and once the majority of potential consumers buy the right gear to do it, it only makes sense for the game and movie producers to go to an entirely downloadable format...At least, it seems that way to me.

I will resist as long as possible.

 

[djwilbanks]

DJ, I apologize for this, because I respect you and your opinions, but you are wrong.

Look at MLP for example. Most people here would buy the disc for an album for $10, when could also buy it online. Same with gamers.

EA might choose, and option, that doesn't meant gamers will. Most gamers see games are only that online as cheesy POS. Just sayin, but that's the truth.

You can believe what you want, bro. But Steam has proven that,a vast majority of gamers, at least PC players, prefer digital downloads as opposed to physical media.

In the near future you'll see the embedded physical media space on tablets, computers, and smartphones decrease rather than increase with the increase in cloud storage options, etc.

Gaming may take time to catch up, but it's not in a vacuum.

You may prefer a physical disc, hell, even I may prefer it. But the reality is, digital media is going to over take physical media in the future. Industry experts, tech gurus, even my mom has noticed. Just because you will it not to happen doesn't mean it won't.

I'm not wrong. And you can take that to the bank. We're talking about the future, which means we'll be talking about a new generation of gamers who grew up using iPads, iPhones, droids, etc. and are perfectly fine not holding a physical piece of media in their hands saying, "this one is mine."

Market shift, buddy. Another thing you can thank the mobile industry, Apple, and Google for.

 

[bertzie]

That's true about Redbox- I'd forgotten about those.

And I hope so... I like owning a physical copy of something when I buy it... But I have a bad feeling that we'll witness a transition away from physical media entirely in a few years. Once it becomes technologically viable, and once the majority of potential consumers buy the right gear to do it, it only makes sense for the game and movie producers to go to an entirely downloadable format...At least, it seems that way to me.

I will resist as long as possible.

Live stream is the future. Only reason they don't do it now is because internet aint fast enough.

 

[djwilbanks]

Live stream is the future. Only reason they don't do it now is because internet aint fast enough.

They do it now, albeit, it's not a big player right now.

 

[Skintaster]

I guess I better adjust my expectations of gaming in the future, and start stocking up on the older games (And systems) I might enjoy playing. Fortunately, there are probably hundreds and hundreds that I either haven't played yet, or would like to play again sometime in the future.

 

[djwilbanks]

I guess I better adjust my expectations of gaming in the future, and start stocking up on the older games (And systems) I might enjoy playing. Fortunately, there are probably hundreds and hundreds that I either haven't played yet, or would like to play again sometime in the future.

Or, like they do now, they'll make older titles downloadable as well.

 

[Sinmastah]

I guess I better adjust my expectations of gaming in the future, and start stocking up on the older games (And systems) I might enjoy playing. Fortunately, there are probably hundreds and hundreds that I either haven't played yet, or would like to play again sometime in the future.

Good thing they are cheap.

No one knows the answer to your question Skin... Only time will tell.

 

[Skintaster]

Good thing they are cheap.

No one knows the answer to your question Skin... Only time will tell.

True. I appreciate everyone's input.

 

[Sinmastah]

I still believe physical copies will never go out of style. They have been around since vinyls, and won't go away for a while IMO.

 

[bertzie]

I still believe physical copies will never go out of style. They have been around since vinyls, and won't go away for a while IMO.

Like vinyl, they'll probably always be around. But like vinyl, they'll see a greatly reduced capacity.